A bizarre freckly-pinkish creature with no hair but a white tail and mohawk-style plume of hair terrified locals in Xinxiang, located in Henan province, China, so much that many were convinced that it was botched "genetic experiment" that escaped from a nearby science facility.

Because several scientific research centers and a local medical school are close to Xinxiang, observers had staked the 'creature' as a strange mutant pig.

"The pink skin makes it look just like pig gone wrong in some sort of genetic experiment," one witness reportedly said, according to Daily Mail.

However, after police arrived, they discovered that the creature is actually a very expensive breed of dog called a Chinese crested hairless dog.

"It is definitely a dog, and quite an expensive one at that," said a spokesman, according to Daily Mail.

This alien-like Chinese crested breed is regularly featured as a contender in the World's Ugliest Dog contest.

A Chinese crested dog named Yoda had won the 2011 World's Ugliest Dog contest at the Sonoma Marin Fair because of her short tufts of hair, protruding tongue and abnormally long legs.

Terry Schumacher, her owner, had found the 1.8 pound Yoda abandoned behind an apartment building and confused her for a rat.

Yoda eventually went on and won $1,000 and a trophy 15 times her size after she was officially celebrated as the World's Ugliest Dog in June 2011.